NADINE ARROYO RODRIGUEZ: The bill would have made it a crime for someone to
deliberately go into a bathroom, shower, or locker room of the opposite sex –
if that facility had a sign indicating its single-sex, and the person’s birth
certificate didn’t specify they are that gender. Representative John Kavanagh
sponsored the original plan. He says he’s changing the bill to protect business
owners from potential lawsuits. The new version will allow businesses to
dictate who they permit into their restrooms. The revision counters the Phoenix
City Council’s recent ordinance that bans discrimination against gay, lesbian,
disabled and transgendered residents.

JOHN KAVANAGH: My making it a crime for one sex to go into the
another sex’s restroom was too much. It wasn’t necessary, or accomplished what
I wanted to do. So, I’m just gonna preclude silly ordinances like Phoenix’s with respect to
these very personal public spaces.

NADINE ARROYO RODRIGUEZ: Kavanagh says he’ll introduce
the new version of what has now been coined the ‘bathroom bill’ to the
Appropriations committee on Wednesday.

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